Winter
2017
News for Bristol City Council tenants
Going green, going digital
Going online and getting involved Keep warm, stay well, save energy Our annual report summary
Getting connected, online
News for all Bristol City Council tenants winter 2017
Positive energy sweeps through Broomhill
Welcome to the winter issue of 2016 was Bristol’s introductory year as England’s first Learning City. In 2017 we will build on the opportunities it creates for people. Could a community action grant or other funding be available to you and your neighbourhood group? As a city of learning we can enjoy the benefits of what’s on offer at www.bristollearningcity.com
IN THIS ISSUE
Written, designed and printed by Bristol City Council. BD8358 Feb 2017
The government’s decision to reduce council tenants’ rents by 1% (yearly until 2020) will help you with your rent payments but it is a challenge for us as your landlord. We will continue to invest in your homes and services, and build new homes for the city, but reduced income for us means spending extra carefully. The council is saving money by delivering more services digitally, online and you can easily access rents, repairs, council tax and money advice at www.bristol.gov.uk/ councilhousing
Single parents in the Broomhill area got together to try and improve the relationships between parts of their community.
Mary Ryan and Steven Barrett – Service Directors, Housing Services
We appreciate not everyone is online at home but we offer advice on how you can use digital council services. In 2017 we will improve how we use technology to contact you, support your tenancy and deliver news to you. Our Annual Report for Tenants 2015–16 (on p12) summarises our performance and the improvements we’re making to homes, neighbourhoods and access to services. Other articles offer tenancy advice and ideas for getting connected in your area in 2017.
Good news. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 Meet the tenants. Chalcroft gardeners. Going digital ... .4-5 News in brief. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Energy, benefits and financial advice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 Your tenancies: in the know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Annual Report for tenants (2015-16) - a summary. . . . 12-14 Housing contacts and city information. . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16
To contact us email: tpu@bristol.gov.uk - call: 0117 352 1444 or write to: Freepost RTKJ-SGBZ-ULSH Tenant Participation (SAH), Bristol City Council, PO Box 3176, Bristol BS3 9FS. (no stamp needed) Cover pictures: Gardening at Chalcroft House
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They planned an October event and despite the rain around 120 people attended the Capgrave Crescent street party. Local resident Heidi said, ‘Watching people enjoying themselves gave me a real sense of achievement and I’ve made a new friend who I see regularly’. Jenny, a Broomhill resident said ‘I enjoyed going out talking with people and getting to know the neighbours more.’ A Christmas event was planned at a local church, and everyone who’s been involved is enthusiastic to do more.
Get Housing News by email To switch to the email version of Housing News visit: bristol.gov.uk/housingnews
Good news!
visit our website www.bristol.gov.uk
We’re building more new homes The programmes sees the first new council homes built in Bristol for some while and a further 11 sites under construction will provide 56 more homes by summer 2017. Later phases are likely to focus on smaller homes but in each case the houses built will be based on the need for homes in that part of Bristol.
New homes were completed in November at Lawrence Hill (see picture). The properties make good use of underused land around Kingsmarsh House and Baynton House including areas where garages had fallen into disrepair. These family homes are part of another phase in a building programme we started in 2014.
Mayor, Marvin Rees, said: ‘The housing shortage is one of the biggest issues facing the city and I have pledged to build 2,000 homes a year by 2020, 800 of which will be affordable homes. Although every house is important, we need to accelerate our build programme to try and address the problem. We have put a halt to the sale of land and 1,700 new homes will be built on land we free up. This will include 60 council-owned houses.’ More details at
Mayor, M
www.bristol.gov.uk/newcouncilhomes
Our improved Housing Register HomeChoice Bristol - new, user-friendly website for online housing applications: www.bristol.gov.uk/homechoice • Better quality property adverts better look and feel • Search by postcode • Maps, extra info, photos • Bid on the go from your mobile phone • Improved personal housing advice • Quickly know if you meet criteria • Save time: no unnecessary forms means less paperwork needed from you!
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News for all Bristol City Council tenants winter 2017
Meet the tenants
Go digital with our green-fingered gardeners! Many people now use smartphones for online transactions, hobbies and to socialise but you’d be hard-pressed to beat this garden group for good laughs and gossip!
May: At the invitation of Julie
Thomas, Housing News dropped in at Chalcroft House, Southville to see how neighbours Paula, Mark and Inga, their cherished council caretaker, have improved the gardens for other tenants to enjoy. The council modernised the garden access, but in this financial climate resources for gardens and communal areas have shrunk. So the group took action to ornament paved areas, dig and plant beds and pots. Many plants and materials were gifted by local retailers and community groups. Parks and Grounds Maintenance teams help, and neighbours make donations.
November: We follow up
with the Chalcroft coffee group to talk technology. We ask how they access services, stay in contact, or share information. Like many people, some use handheld devices or home computers for everything from holiday snaps to council services.
Before: Chalcroft’s gardens needed some love After: Inga tends the new beds Next up: the group want a fence to enclose the main garden. But not everyone is connected. For Marina and Colin the barriers to going online include age, physical ability, cost or knowledge. Some have family who can help, others go online daily.
As Diane shows us how she uses her phone to go online others ask, ‘How can people get help to get online?’ Please see our Top Five ways to get connected (page 5).
Paula said, ‘I use my smartphone and mobile Wi-Fi to access council services online. I’ve reported repairs, street issues, noise, and checked my rent account. I applied for housing, logged a complaint, paid council tax – and even looked at my family history. I’ve done it all!’
Mark agreed to share the garden photos from his tablet with us online. We offered to set up a Flickr album for their garden memories, and help them share videos and ideas at our Youtube channel and Facebook Page (see page 15 links). Our thanks to the Chalcroft tenants: we’ll send prints for the whole block to enjoy!
Friends and neighbours of Chalcroft’s garden group page four
visit our website www.bristol.gov.uk
Embrace the digital landscape! 1
Low cost computers Get a refurbished pc
ways to
5 get connected
Share ideas with neighbours – join a 4
neighbourhood forum www.bristol.gov.uk/ tenantparticipation. Could you get training or funding? Check what’s available at VOSCUR’s Support Hub: www.supporthub.org.uk
from Bristol Computer Reuse – from £50! www.bristolcomputerreuse.org [See page 9]
Use free library computers and Wi-Fi at 2
your library or CSP. Ask about creating your own email account. www.bristol.gov.uk/libraries www.bristol.gov.uk/csp
5 5-week computer course for £20!
Available to over-55s - www.ageuk.org.uk/ bristol/our-services/computer- learning-courses
Cheap phone deals: good smartphones can 3 be yours for around £13pm (2-yr contract) www.uswitch.com/mobiles (Ofgem accredited site)
Other beginners’ courses are at: www.bristolcourses.com
The Online Centres Network can also help you get digital skills: www.onlinecentresnetwork.org
Stay safe. See www.getsafeonline.org
Save time online!
• Report a repair. Book non-urgent repairs at www.bristol.gov.uk/ReportARepair
Millions of visits are made to the council website every year and thousands of people find information and services or make payments. The improved site is easy to use on a smartphone. With web forms linking directly to our systems, going online is often the quickest way to get things done.
• Has your situation changed? If you’ve recently moved or had a change in circumstances, for example someone moving in or out of your home, please let us know online. If you don’t update your details, you might be charged the wrong amount of council tax. Visit www.bristol.gov.uk/ counciltaxchange
We’re encouraging Bristol citizens to make www.bristol.gov.uk their first stop for council services. On our new mobile-friendly site you can go online at any time and place that suits you, rather than our office opening hours. And with increasing pressure on council spending, it means we can focus our limited resources on people with the greatest need.
• Report street issues. Street light not working? Problems with graffiti or dogs in your area? It’s easy to report it online at www.bristol.gov.uk/ report-a-street-issue
Do it online
•
Make changes to your tenancy. Manage rents, repairs or problems. You can even exchange your home! All at www.bristol.gov.uk/councilhousing
• Find your nearest. Know which school catchment area you live in? How to contact your councillor or see planning applications affecting your street? Visit www.bristol.gov.uk/myneighbourhood. Click ‘my nearest’ (top tab) to see more local facilities. Also find free internet WiFi using maps. www.bristol.gov.uk/pinpoint
• Set up a Direct Debit to pay council tax. Secure, reliable, saves you needing to remember every month. Start it up online in less than 5 minutes. Visit www.bristol.gov.uk/directdebit You’ll need: (1) your council tax account number (found on your bill); (2) bank, branch and sort code; (3) bank account number and name(s) on the account. page five
News for all Bristol City Council tenants winter 2017
News in brief Improved community rooms Last year the residents of Arncliffe Court and Catherine House held special party lunches to celebrate improvements to their community spaces.
Bristol Learning City wants your learning stories Have you learnt something that has made a real difference to your life? Sharing your experience may inspire others to learn. Find out how to share your story at www. bristollearningcity.com/learningstories and help to celebrate learning in Bristol.
These are Sheltered Housing blocks for older people. Housing News popped in to meet tenants and officers from the team for tea and cake and to admire the changes that have been made.
for community resources.
Upgrades were possible with Neighbourhood Improvement Budgets together with Jewson Builders Merchants and Graham Plumbers Merchants whose contract with us includes support and finance
We’ve installed new fixtures and furnishings and redecorated. The rooms and kitchens now have a fresh look. Tenants and staff had a great time sharing stories, smiles and laughter in the new spaces.
Tenants satisfaction prize winners Congratulations to Mr Kidd from Hartcliffe and other winners in our tenant satisfaction prize draw. The survey helps us to find out what you think of our housing services and how we can do better.
Redecorate a Room update Last year Housing News and social housing charity 1625 Independent People (1625ip) offered a competition for young tenants to win a designer room makeover. 1625ip said, “Our Cash Pointers team are pleased that 10 tenants are having Room Makeovers including a successful young Housing News reader”. The competition matched tenants aged 16-25 with a designer to transform a room using a small budget. It was a chance to learn money management, DIY and upcycling skills. The winners will be announced in March. Visit: www.1625ip.co.uk page six
Send your claims evidence online! Rather than visiting or writing to us, you can now use your smartphone, computer or tablet to send images of documents supporting your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction claim. You can either: take a photo with your phone or tablet/iPad, when you get to that part of the form; send an image or document file saved on your computer. Files must be no bigger than 5mb. You can upload images, pdfs, documents and spreadsheets at www.bristol.gov.uk/ benefitevidence
visit our website www.bristol.gov.uk
Join us and help improve tenant involvement The Housing Scrutiny Panel (HSP) is small team of council tenants and leaseholders working with the council to improve services. We look at the issues affecting tenants and leaseholders and make recommendations for improvement. We are carrying out a review of tenant participation in Bristol. We’re surveying council tenants and leaseholders to find out how you prefer to give feedback and get involved. Here’s how you can help:
1. Have your say To take the survey type bit.ly/TenantParticipation into your web browser, by Monday 20 March 2. Explore the ways you can currently get involved. Check our website: www.bristol.gov.uk/tenantparticipation 3. The HSP is also recruiting members. You don’t need previous experience as we offer support and training. We meet monthly for meetings and projects. Want to find out more? Please email hsp@bristol.gov.uk, or phone 0117 352 1444. Write to us (no stamp required): Freepost RTKJ-SGBZ-ULSH, Housing Scrutiny Panel (SAH), Bristol City Council, PO Box 3176, BS3 9FS. Visit: www.bristol.gov.uk/hsp
Mystery shoppers wanted We want to give citizens the best experience when you contact us and in 2016 we made changes to serve you better. Would you like to help us improve further? Are you: • passionate that everyone should get the service they need? • interested in helping to mystery-shop our services online, by email, phone or face-to-face?
Have your say
This is open to anyone in Bristol so, if you’re interested, please email our Citizen Engagement Team at: mysteryshopper@bristol.gov.uk
Easton area water supply Live in Easton? Bristol Water are improving the supply by renovating the water main. Check if this could interrupt your water supply: www.bristolwater.co.uk/ eastonmain
• keen to tell us (anonymously) how you felt about the service you received? You don’t need special knowledge. It’s about your overall experience, the way information was given to you, and how easily you accessed the service.
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News for all Bristol City Council tenants winter 2017
Energy, Finance and Support For more energy support and advice visit: www.cse.org.uk/bristoltea on your pc, tablet or smartphone
How to use your heating controls If your central heating was upgraded or changed from electric night storage to gas, then your new heating controls may be different. Getting to know how they work can help you keep warm without running up huge winter bills. There are new videos to help you understand and use your heating controls. Visit our YouTube videos at https://goo.gl/PFvRh0 These include: • setting the dials on night storage heaters • using the new Danfoss programmer on our new gas central heating systems.
Don’t pay too much for energy If you’ve not ‘switched’ recently then you’re probably on a standard energy tariff paying far more than you should for gas and electricity. You can compare tariffs and switch online. All approved comparison websites are listed at www.cse.org.uk/switch, with details on what to do.
For free energy-saving tips call the Tenants Energy Advice service, 0800 082 2234 (free to call) or email home.energy@cse.org.uk
Get the most from your smart meter and In-Home Display Many energy suppliers now offer their customers smart meters. These are supplied with an in-home display (IHD), a device showing useful information about your household energy use. The IHD helps you to take control of your energy use to reduce your bills. Because the displays provide regular readings automatically you won’t pay for gas and electricity you haven’t used, or run up a big debt because of poorly estimated bills. An IHD can help you to know: 1. What’s the cost to keep only the essential appliances going? Some items could be switched off to save money when you go out. 2. Which appliances use the most energy? Turn off lights, appliances and heaters to find out how much each one costs you. 3. How much energy do I use over time? Knowing your weekly or monthly usage can help you budget. Find out more: www.cse.org.uk/smartmeters
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visit our website www.bristol.gov.uk
Rent Payments are top priority Paying bills can be a juggling act but your rent is a top priority. If it isn’t paid you could lose your home. Here are four steps to put you in control: Step 1. Keep track of your weekly rent amount. Use the online form at www.bristol.gov.uk/ rentenquiryform. Or open a Tenant Account online. You can check your rent charges, your balance, and housing benefit payments 24/7! Visit www.bristol.gov.uk/tenantaccount
Step 2. Stay on time. Make sure your weekly rent is paid when due. For easy ways to pay, visit: www.bristol.gov.uk/payrent Step 3. Get advice. If you need budgeting advice or financial support, or if you’d like to get back into work, visit: www.bristol.gov.uk/rentarrears Step 4. Tell us. Struggling to pay your rent? Please call Rent Management now on 0117 922 2200 (option 3). We can help you plan to get back on track and protect your tenancy.
Benefit Cap: know the facts In November 2016 there was a change to the total amount of benefits people aged 16 to 64 can get. It affects anyone who is claiming Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. The total amount you can get is reduced
from £26,000 to £20,000 per year. The cap is applied to Housing Benefits claims meaning you will lose some of your Housing Benefit and need to pay more towards your rent. You will not be capped if you receive Carer’s Allowance or
Free winter warmth packs for those in need The Tenants Energy Advice service (TEA) has some free winter warmth packs to give away. The packs contain a fleece blanket, woolly hat and gloves, hot water bottle, thermo mug, thermal socks and a thermometer card.
Guardian’s Allowance. Check your entitlement by using the benefit checker www.bristol.entitledto. co.uk. To check all Benefit Cap details, all exemptions, and where to get help, visit: www.bristol. gov/benefitcap
Need a low-cost computer? We can get you connected for as little as £50 n Mentio ews ing N “Hous 358” BD8 er a furth t e g d an
f!f o s c 1d0es% p ktop
The packs are available to any Bristol council tenant who is: • An older person living in a cold home • A person of any age with physical health or mobility issues • Someone experiencing mental health problems and finding it hard to manage their energy bills. Packs are available on a first-come, first-served basis (one pack per household). If you or someone you know would like to request a pack please call the TEA service, free on 0800 082 2234 or email home.energy@cse.org.uk
For details and support: Email: info@bristolcomputerreuse.org Phone: 0117 3706 375 Visit: www.bristolcomputerreuse.org
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News for all Bristol City Council tenants winter 2017
Your tenancies... We prosecute tenancy fraudsters Tenancy fraud is serious and deprives others who are waiting for a badly needed home. Our team received an anonymous report that a council home was being sublet and that the tenant lied on their housing application. The team supervisor states, ‘Investigations revealed that the suspect owned properties in London. Rather than declaring these on their housing application form, they falsely claimed they were living with family in Bristol and about to become homeless. Their tenancy was ended and the suspect pleaded guilty to tenancy fraud. They received a suspended sentence, 200 hours community service and were ordered to pay compensation of £500 to their evicted subtenant and £2,680 costs to the council’. We always act where tenancy fraud is confirmed. Since 2010 we regained 209 properties for those in genuine need.
Help your home stay healthy We deal with more emergency callouts in winter than any other time of the year. So waiting time for non-urgent repairs can take a bit longer. Here’s how you can avoid urgent repairs: Pay attention - report early look for signs of damage and report them before they become an emergency: Boiler or pipes – are they leaking? Does hot water in the kitchen/bathroom flow consistently? Do pipes/taps make banging or gurgling noises? Ventilate: Open windows occasionally to avoid damp and let in fresh air: During and after showering or bathing If you have wet washing drying If you see condensation on your windows
Turn extractor fans on to remove excess moisture in the air.
Keep warm and safe: A warm home also helps prevent property problems. The ideal temperature is 18-21°C (64-70°F). Three tips to keep warm in winter: 1. Evening. Keep curtains closed 2. Day. Let the sunlight in 3. Radiators. Keep clear space in front - let the heat spread. Report damage or problems to us at www.bristol.gov.uk/reportarepair (see p15).
Do you know someone with a council home who: • is no longer living there and has possibly rented it out?
Report a repair
• got the property by giving false information? Please report it. www.bristol.gov.uk/tenancyfraud
The quickest way to book a non-urgent repair is online at www.bristol.gov.uk/ReportARepair
tenancy.fraud@bristol.gov.uk
We introduced this facility in early 2016:
0117 922 2470
1. Check if your repair can be logged online and whether you may be charged for it.
We are under a duty to protect public funds and may use information provided to us for the prevention and detection of fraud. We may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds. For more information, see www.bristol.gov.uk/nfi page ten
2. Report. Click the ‘Report a Repair’ button and follow the booking sequence. Remember to provide us with as much information as possible.
visit our website www.bristol.gov.uk
If things go wrong with your repair We pride ourselves on keeping homes in good repair but if something doesn’t go to plan, you have the right to complain. Our process guarantees each complaint is investigated. We work to avoid such situations, and regularly review the complaints we receive to improve services. The simplest way to complain is online at www.bristol.gov.uk/complaints (see page 15). We aim to respond within 15 working days. If you aren’t satisfied with our response, you can request a Stage 2 complaint to a higher level. If you are still unhappy, the Ombudsman Service is fast, free, independent, and Government-funded.
Emergency repairs An emergency repair is something that we need to get to within one working day, to prevent injury to anybody or serious damage to your home. We’ll always respond to emergencies as quickly as possible and offer you the earliest available appointment. 20% of jobs are currently dealt with as an emergency. If these are reported and we respond out of normal working times, then there is a huge cost to us and extra pressure on the service. To help staff and tenants, we have clearly defined which type of repairs we consider to be an emergency, and will be carried out within one working day. These are:
We hope you never need to complain but, if you do have a problem, we want to hear about it.
Total or partial loss of electric power
Unsafe electrical power, lighting socket or electrical fitting Total loss of water supply (not partial loss) Total or partial loss of gas supply Blocked flue to open fire or boiler
Did you know?
Our Repairs service is
rated by you, the tenant. Satisfaction rates are improving, reaching
82% in 2015.
No heating/hot water between 31 October and 1 May Blocked/leaking foul drain, soil stack or toilet Toilet not flushing (if there is only one toilet in property) Leak from a water pipe, tank or cistern
3. Make a date. For some repairs, such as those in communal areas you won’t need to book a time, but if the repair is for your property please book a time and date convenient to you. Is the repair an emergency? If so, you must report it to us by phone (see page 15).
Insecure external window, door or lock. If there are exceptional circumstances we may respond more quickly, and will consider the needs of the people living in the property. Our staff are trained to assess which problems are urgent. They will ask you questions to help us decide how quickly we need to respond. When our staff report that a call is not an emergency and when no one is present, we may charge £50. Emergencies involving unsecured homes or properties where we need to ‘gain entry’ are available only where tenants have young children present or are elderly or disabled. These are scheduled as soon as possible. We will always charge £50 for this service.
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News for all Bristol City Council tenants winter 2017
A year in numbers Annual report summary 2015 – 2016
Welcome to our latest annual report – a snapshot of how we performed as your landlord between April 2015 and March 2016. To read the full report, please visit: www.bristol.gov.uk/councilhousingperformance
Who are we? 31,665 tenants housed in 26,893 properties 62,000 people in total (14% of Bristol’s population) 1,953 people lease 1,494 flats from us 77% of tenants are satisfied with the services we provide
Contacting us We received 295,760 calls to the service centre. 75% were answered within our target time Over 50% of 628 complaints were resolved within our 15 days target
61% of all tenants say we listen and respond to their views
Repairs to your homes 91% satisfied with their last repair 96% satisfied they could book a repair at a time convenient to them 97% satisfied with the quality of their new home The easiest way to book non-urgent repairs is at:
NEW www.bristol.gov.uk/reportarepair page twelve
visit our website www.bristol.gov.uk
Improving your home 82% satisfied with the quality of their home 93% of our homes met the government’s Decent Homes Standard 1,687 new heating systems installed 874 homes rewired 1,313 new kitchens installed 97% satisfied with planned work done to their home
Helping you maintain your tenancy 1,365 vacant properties were let to new tenants 74% new tenants had successful start to their new tenancy 95% of new tenancies lasted a year or more 141 tenants downsized their home. 57 helped by our dedicated team 434 vulnerable tenants given extra support to keep their tenancy
Your rent 78% of tenants are satisfied that their rent is value for money 58 tenants evicted for not paying their rent 83% satisfied with our advice on managing money and paying rent We will reduce your rent by 1% in 2016-17 and each of the next three years NEW
Our online Tenant Account gives you easy access to rent balance and payments
Safe, clean and green neighbourhoods 79% satisfied with their neighbourhood as a place to live 95% of blocks receiving a caretaking service were judged to be satisfactory
Dealing with Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) 2,495 cases of ASB reported to us 155 hate crimes reported. We investigated every case 59% satisfied with how their ASB or hate-crime complaint was handled 11 tenants were evicted for ASB We are recruiting more housing officers to help us resolve and prevent ASB. page thirteen
News for all Bristol City Council tenants winter 2017
How we spend your money £36.8 million
£36.3 million
Improvements/ Adaptions to existing housing stock
Repairs and Maintenance
£5.8 million New Build Program and Acquisitions
£27.8 million Management costs
£9.1 million
Special Services (e.g. Caretaking or Services to Older People)
£11.2 million Debt Servicing
Do you have a view? If you’ve got ideas, think we should change something, or want to get involved in how we manage, maintain and improve your homes, email tpu@bristol.gov.uk More involvement ideas at www.bristol.gov.uk/tenantparticipation
For great tips on getting connected and going online see pages 4 and 5.
page fourteen
visit our website www.bristol.gov.uk
Useful contacts and what’s on Estate Management
Emergency Repairs
www.bristol.gov.uk/estates
Please call the Emergency Control Centre:
Rents and £ housing payments
• 8.30am to 6pm (office hours): 0117 922 2200 (option 1)
www.bristol.gov.uk/payrent If you are struggling to pay, call: 0117 922 2200 (Mon-Fri 8.30am to 6pm) www.bristol.gov.uk/ tenantaccount manage your tenancy online
£
Housing benefit and council tax reduction www.bristol.gov.uk/benefits
Caretaking www.bristol.gov.uk/caretaking
Report repairs
www.bristol.gov.uk/reportarepair
Rehousing www.bristol.gov.uk/rehousing
Tenants Energy Advice
www.cse.org.uk/bristoltea
• 6pm to 8.30am (out of hours): 0117 922 2050 Textphone: 0117 922 3892 0117 922 2050
Smell Gas? Report gas immediately to National Grid Gas Emergency Service 0800 111 999
Citizen Service Points
www.travelwest.info/ journeyplanner
Social media www.facebook.com/ bristolcouncilhousing www.flickr.com/photos/ bristolcouncil www.youtube.com/ bristolcitycouncil
Complaints or feedback
www.bristol.gov.uk/complaints
Phone 0117 922 2723, Mon-Fri, 10am to 4pm, or visit a CSP. Write to: Freepost RTKJ-SGBZ-ULSH, Customer Relations (100 TS), PO Box 3176, Bristol, BS3 9FS]
Find it in Bristol
www.maps.bristol.gov.uk/ pinpoint
www.bristol.gov.uk/csp
Travel Planning
What’s on: Bristol museums and galleries
www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/ whats-on
What’s on: Parks
www.bristol.gov.uk/parksevents
Report Street Problems
www.bristol.gov.uk/report-astreet-issue
What’s on: Citywide
www.bristol.gov.uk/whats-on
Information about all tenant services available 24/7at: www.bristol.gov.uk/councilhousing
Please note: all event information correct at time of publication. Please check before your visit.
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News for Bristol City Council tenants
Housing News is going online The council is required to make financial savings wherever possible, and recently Bristol citizens were asked for views on our budget for the coming years. Printing is just one area where we are making savings – both in our office printing and in the materials we send to you. This includes Housing News. In 2017 we will stop sending a printed copy of Housing News to tenants. We will continue to deliver information to you as part of your tenancy agreement. Many of our services are available on our website and Housing News will also go online. Please keep up to date with changes to Housing News and ideas for getting involved in your neighbourhood at: www.bristol.gov.uk/housingnews